July 25, 2002
Life pulls plug on athletics
MARIETTA ã In a bid to cut costs, Life University has shuttered its
athletic department ã
07/25/02
By: David Burch
Marietta Daily Journal Staff Writer
MARIETTA ã In a bid to cut costs, Life University has shuttered its
athletic department ã including the basketball and track teams that
have won a total of seven national championships.
The school decided on Tuesday to do away with $1.8 million worth
of sports programs, part of the school¼s effort to cut expenses and
„refocus¾ its resources to academics.
Student athletes and coaching staff at Life were notified of the
decision Tuesday evening.
„Nobody expected this to happen because the program was so
successful,¾ said Life University Athletic Director Roger Kaiser, who
helped found the program in 1990. „It was a surprise and a
disappointment.¾
Athletics was one of the non-academic areas interim president Dr.
Michael Schmidt said last week was being considered as a
possible budget cut. Other proposed cuts included the annual
„Lights of Life¾ Christmas display and overhead costs associated
with running the university.
The university was stripped of its chiropractic accreditation in June
and saw its enrollment drop 17 percent this summer ã a loss of
about $2 million in tuition revenue.
Cutting athletics will affect approximately 12 full-time and part-time
coaches and other staff, as well as between 140 and 150 students
athletes.
Over the years, the Life University „Fighting Eagles¾ have brought
widespread exposure to the school, gaining attention from those
who otherwise have little involvement with the chiropractic
profession.
The men¼s basketball team won three NAIA championships in 1997,
1999 and 2000, while the men¼s track team won four of the last six
Outdoor National Championships.
Kaiser said his first priority will be to find a place for the athletes
who no longer have a place to play.
„We convinced these people to come here and be student athletes,
so we need to help do something for them,¾ he said.
As part of Life athletics¼ „wind-down program,¾ coaches are now in
the process of making phone calls to athletic programs at other
colleges, looking for spots to put displaced athletes. Placement will
be done on a „case-by-case basis¾ and will depend on the desires
of the individual student.
„Hopefully we can place most of them,¾ Kaiser said. „These athletes
want to play.¾
With only about a month left until the start of school, one concern in
placing athletes is that many colleges have already filled their
athletic rousters.
„The only thing I am worried about is that some of (the schools)
may have committed all their scholarships,¾ Kaiser said.
As for himself and the rest of the coaching staff, Kaiser said he has
not had time to think about where he will go after leaving Life.
„I don¼t think anybody knows how long anyone will stay,¾ he said. „I
know I¼m not a good enough golfer to retire. I enjoy working too
much.¾
John Barrett, who has served as the head men¼s basketball coach
at Life for the past two years, said his goal will be to move on and
coach at another university. But for now, he said he is too
preoccupied with placing his athletes to think about his own future.
„I don¼t have any immediate plans,¾ Barrett said. „We just found out
about this. We are going to try to do everything we can for (the
athletes) first.¾
Mike Spino, the coach of the track and cross country teams, said he
was disappointed to hear of the decision but understood that the
school must focus on academics.
„It is just a financial problem, and I know the school has to keep the
academic side because they do not know how many students are
going to stay in school there,¾ he said.
Life spokesman Will Hurst said all athlete scholarships ã which are
granted for one-year terms running from March to March ã will be
honored by the university through the end of their current
contracts.
As for the Life University athletic facilities, Hurst said the university
will maintain ownership for the time being.
The Life campus includes an elaborate athletic complex featuring a
2,500-seat gym, a state-of-the-art fitness center and an Olympic-
quality track and field stadium.
Hurst said the university could lease out the facilities for individual
events to generate revenue, or could enter into the same sort of
long-term agreement now in place between Life and the Georgia
Force arena football team for their practice facilities.
„Arrangements of that nature could be made,¾ Hurst said.
A more extensive list of budget cuts is expected to be released next
week.
dburch@mdjonline.com